Nick ....interesting thread to pop up, I had no idea that the developers had a website.
Answers to questions:
I am also involved with the project and have been since its inception about one and a half years ago.
After Mike Stranz passed away, Forrest and his key company personnel have continued to build courses....he has worked with John Fought in Utah, and also with Love Golf Design on two courses....Ricefields, outside of Savannah, which we hope to open this year, and another course outside of Newark, Delaware...to open in 2009.
Most here associate me with Love Golf Design...and they should, as most of my work over the past 14 yrs has been with the Love brothers and continues to be [we should open our new course in Cabo later this year and to say its going to be fabulous is probably not saying enough].
Forrest and I formed Fezler/Cowley in response to some courses that were coming his way from past connections....and Del Rey Oaks is one of these.
We also have another course we will be working on outside of Gainesville Florida...Oak Tree Landing, which will be built in the local sand belt there, and on land that is very similar in nature, but on opposite coasts.
Del Rey Oaks is a great site, one I would rate an '8' on the Cowley Site Scale [Cabo is a '10']....especially because we will be able to build a core course, with the development on the fringes. The site is on the side hill of one of the massive old dune structures that are typical of the area. It is moved back a few miles from the coast and is a wonderful mix of scrub/shrub vegetation....with a few old quarry areas that we will incorporate nicely into the mix.
The photo links are from some photos we took of the site and then had them photo shopped for presentation to the City and various Agencies.....and are more of an attempt to portray the natural look that we want to create, especially as watered acreage will be limited. Personally I am excited by this as I feel "big irrigation" is getting out of control.
We need to build courses cheaper if golf is going to remain viable in the future, and irrigation is one of the first areas that needs to be cut back.
This should be an exciting project, and if we get to pushing dirt late this year, it would be good to see some of the local GCAtlasers out on site.....and I am looking forward to that promised gin and tonic with the esteemed Mr Huntley.
